History Lesson: Rick Perry Bitchslaps Kay Bailout....

As UT President Bill Powers seeks to hold on to his job in the face of a growing admissions scandal where powerful lawmakers and their donors were allegedly given preferential admissions, the new leader of the alumni association is standing by Powers. Former US Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison wrote to alumni this weekend that Powers “is a great leader; he deserves better than this."

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Closely aligned with deep-monied interests, Powers has been strongly supported by establishment politicians. After questions about financial malfeasance and legislative clout abuse were raised by a UT regent, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus went about the task of impeaching the regent.

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Hutchison, a graduate of UT, took over as the president of the “Texas Exes,” an independent alumni association which lobbies on behalf of UT. She made opposing Perry’s higher education reforms a hallmark of her failed 2010 gubernatorial race. [Emphasis added]

In an email labeled “Urgent State of Affairs at UT-Austin,” Hutchison confirmed that the ultimatum had been issued but decried it as a “travesty.”

“It would cause further tension with legislators regarding UT System, would compound unrest among faculty, students, and alumni, and invoke serious harm to the institution’s reputation in the national spotlight,” wrote Hutchison. “President Powers has advanced the university through many tremendous accomplishments, and has been a great leader; he deserves better than this. This is about our university; it is a treasure that alumni need to protect and we need to stand up and fight for its stature. The University of Texas at Austin deserves better than this.”

She described the leak of information to Breitbart and follow-on news outlets as “unfortunate” and as having “inflamed controversy.”

In her letter, though, Hutchison does not address the substance of the scandals brewing around Powers. Neither Hutchison nor the Texas Exes has called for investigations into claims UT admitted under-qualified students based on their family’s political ties.

And how, pray tell, did that Governor's race work out for Kay Bailey Hutchison?!?